Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-12-09
CHAPTER XEIL--How UM5LoPoGAAS HELD
THE STAIR.


CHAPTER X%L-HyW UM5LOPOGAAS HELD
THE STAIR.
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u"i' WIN A'i' '"'S " '''O ''''S' Soy IL
wonderful way. 'On the farther side OF
the courtyard are blocks OF cut marble
the WOrkmen brought them there Tor the
bed Of the new statue of lncubu. my lord;
let rs block the door with them"
] jumped at the idea, and having de-
spatched one OF the remaining maidens
down Inc great stair 20 see Ii she couijT 90
tain assistance from the docks below,
where her father, who was great mer
chant, employing many men, had his
dwelling place, and set another to watch
through. the doorway, we made our way
back across the courtyard to where the
hcwn marble Law, and here we met Kara
returning from despatching the first two
messengers. There were the marble blocks,
sure enough, broad, massive humps, some
six inches thick, and weighing about eighty
pounds each, and there, too, were II cOu-
pie of implements like small stretcher5,
that the worEmen used to carry them on.
Without delay we got some OF the blocks
on the stretchcrs, and four of the girls car
ried them to the doorway.
Listen, Macumazrhn." said UmslopO-
gaas ''ff these low fellows come, it is |
who will hold the stair against them till
the door is built up. Nay, nay, it will be a
mans death, gainSav me not, old friend.
1T has been a good day, let it now be good
night. See, throw myself down to rest
on the marble there; when their footsteps
are nigh wake thou me- not before, for |
need my strength" and without word
he went outside and flung himself down
on the marble, and was instantly asleep
At this time, too was overcome, and
was forced to sit down by the doorway,
and content myself with directing opera
tons The girls brought the blocks, while
Kara and Nylcptha built them up across
the six-foOt-wide doorway, Il triple row of
them, for less would be useless. But the
marble had to be brought forty yards, and
then there were forty yards to run back,
and though the girls laborcd gloriously,
even staggering along alone, each with
block in her arms, IL was slow work, dread
fully slow.
The light was growing now, and pres
emily, in the silence, we heard Commo-
ton ut the far-Oii bottom OF the stair, and
the faint clanking OF armed men. Az yet
the wall was only two feet high, and we
had been eight minutes mt the building of
it. So they had come. AlphOnse had
heard Alright.
The clanking sound came nearer, and
In tho ghOStly gray of the dawning we
could make out long files of men, some
iiftv or so in all. slowly creeping up the
stair. They were now at the halfway
standing place that rested on the great
lying arch; and here, perceivlng that some
thing was going on above, they, to our
great gain. halted for three or four minutes
and consulted, then slowly and cautiously
advanced again.
We had been nearly a quarter of an hour
at the work now, and IL was almost three
feet high.
Then awu3,a tmSlopOgaaS The great
man rose, stretched himself and swung
lnkosikaaSi around his head.
1T is well, p" he said. II feel rs n Young
man once more. Ny strength has come
back to me. ay, even rs a lamp flares up
before it dies. Fear not. [ shall fight a
good fight; the wine and the sleep have
put a new heart into me-
"MTumAZahn | have dreamed a dream.
I dreamed that thou and stood together
on star, and looked down on the world.
and thou vast as spirit, Macumazahn,
for light famed through thy flesh, but |.
could not see what was the fashion of mine
own face. The hour has como for ia. old
hunter. So be il: we have had our time.
but would that in il had seen some more
such fights rs Yesterdays
Let them bury me after the fashion of
my p,nale, Macumazahn. and set NV eyes
and shook it, and then turned to face The
advancing foe.
lust then, 10 my nStonishmcnt, the Zu-
NcRui nHSct, NNra, claipSreu over our
impruviSed wall IN his quiet, determined
sort OF way, and took his stand by the
Hulu unSheatmng his sword as he did so.
What, contest thou, tooE' laughed out
the old warrior. 'Welcome-a welcome
10 thee, eraEc hcart oW! Tor the man
VINO can ule IKE Il lhali oW! Tor the death
grip ana Tue ringing OF steer. bN! we are
ready. We wet our heaks like eagles, our
spears haSh IN the sun; we snake our as
scgalS, and are hungry To fight. Who
comes to give greeting to the Chieftainess
QnkoslNat)s VINO would taste her kiss,
whereof the trult Is death: /, the Wood
pecNer; /, tue S!auEnterer; /, the swift
looted; l. OmslopoS&as! OF the tribe OF the
MaquiIlSlm OF the people OF AmazuIu- a
captain OF the regiment of the NkomHba-
koSl; |. CmSiopoS&as, the sou of lndaba-
zlmbi. the son of Arpi the son of Mosili-
kdatZe: |, OF the royal blood of TCl;.sa, |
OF the Kings House, |, the hinged Man. |,
the lnduaa; call TO them as buck calls;
lchaiien@e them, await them. owl 1t Is
thou, II is thou!
As he sp3Ne, or rather chanted, his wild
war-Soag, the armed men, among whom
IN the growing Ii sht recognized both
NaSta aud Agon, came streaming up the
STAR "i'ha rush, anu one Dig fellow, armed
with heavy spear, dashed up the ten
Semi-clrcutar steps ahead OF his comrades
Shu struck at the great Aulu with his
smear Umslonoraos novad his bosv I'M,
NOT his leys 81 t6St tba bIo,y ,,,isSa5' w.,
and tba nexr instant Intos;t-aas crosha5
thrnn,rh beSdnia,e b,i, nj stS'n a,,S ~ J.
mans cnrnSe WAS ratti;, -, ~ 80 st,,,s
AS he d~nbnad his romnd bi,nore+ 800.